Company Udokan Med’ (Udokan Copper) Launches Its Own Automated Open-Pit Management System
Since September 2025, Udokan Med’ (Udokan Copper) has been implementing its internally developed system for managing open-pit mining operations. The integrated hardware-and-software complex coordinates the operation of all mining equipment across the site.
Maximizing Efficiency
Thanks to the introduction of the new technology, a record daily excavation volume was achieved in November – 166,000 m³ compared with the standard rate of 128,484 m³. The system has already integrated 65 haul trucks and 18 excavators. By the end of December, another 23 pieces of equipment are planned to be digitized, including drilling rigs, auxiliary machinery and the vehicle fleet. The system will also be extended to fuel trucks and combined watering–gravel-spreading machines.
The new system is built around a unified “single source of truth” – an operational data environment that consolidates information from all production areas. Previously, departments maintained their own separate datasets. With the unified framework in place, dispatchers now receive synchronized real-time data that updates continuously. The platform covers blast-hole drilling, drilling and blasting operations, loading and hauling cycles, the entire mining and auxiliary fleet and monitoring of haul-road conditions throughout the pit.
Operators of haul trucks and auxiliary equipment now receive assignments directly through tablets. Before the system was deployed, dispatchers relayed tasks over radio, clarifying routes and reissuing instructions during the shift. The digital workflow reduces errors and shortens response times. Route planning is integrated into the system and takes into account pit geometry, weather conditions and geotechnical parameters.
These improvements stabilize mining operations and reduce downtime. Udokan Med’ emphasizes that the initiative is not a single digital module but a major project that opens the way to a fundamentally new model for organizing the production chain.
Russian-Made Software
The automated open-pit management system is included in the register of Russian software. The software operates in real time: all data are displayed on the workstation monitor of the mining dispatcher at the pit. The system becomes especially important under conditions of limited visibility: even when video cameras do not function due to severe weather, the program continues to calculate optimal allocation based on satellite data and the internet signal.
As the amount of equipment in the pit increases, the dispatcher is physically unable to manually control the entire process. The software takes over these operational tasks, optimizing loading times and intervals. The effect is already noticeable even in test mode.
The Human Factor – as a Strength
Training of employees is scheduled at the enterprise for January and February. The training program includes mining dispatchers, drivers, mechanics and specialists from all services involved in the process. The system is currently being tested, the personnel are studying its capabilities and taking part in its configuration.
Importantly, the open-pit management system takes over the formation of all production reporting. It automatically records the number of haul cycles, actual output, operating time of each unit of equipment and downtime. The enterprise operates 57 haul trucks with a capacity of 130 tons and eight 240-ton trucks. All data are collected and processed automatically, which reduces the number of errors and saves time for specialists who previously compiled reports manually.
During the testing phase, around 300 people took part in the process: employees of the mining complex, technological and specialized transport columns, drilling crews, energy and surveying services, as well as geologists and mechanics.
Not a Goal, but a Path
Udokan Med’ is continuously working to optimize and modernize its production processes. In 2023, the enterprise launched a beneficiation plant (a flotation–concentration complex). By the time concentrate production began, infrastructure required for processing and extraction had been created in the harsh conditions of the Trans-Baikal region: roads, power supply and water supply.
A year earlier, the company reported the use of a “flotation–hydrometallurgical” technology. This in-house development significantly reduced emissions and gave momentum to the planned expansion into Asian markets. Overall, the global mining industry is increasingly adopting digital systems for managing extraction and logistics, advancing automation and data collection and analysis. This reflects a worldwide trend – in this context, Udokan’s step aligns with industry developments.
The implementation of the open-pit management system may become a foundation for further scaling of digitalization: monitoring, automation and planning, which is especially important for large-scale open pits. Within Russia, this is an opportunity to build technological competencies in digital mining, create new jobs (operators, IT specialists, analysts) and potentially develop an ecosystem of services and software for the mining sector.
